Vacant Property

General Information

All vacant, condemned, or foreclosed properties located in the City of Rolling Meadows must be registered with the City pursuant to Article XII of Chapter 18 of the Rolling Meadows Municipal Code. Failure to register a vacant property, as outlined below, may result in fines up to $1,000 for each day that violation persists.

The owner of a vacant, condemned, or foreclosed property should register it with the City within 15 days. The Director of Community Development may also determine that a particular subject property meets the definition of vacant, condemned, or foreclosed and upon written notice, as outlined in code, may compel an owner or agent to register it with the City.  The owner or agent may appeal the Director’s determination in writing to the City Manager within 15 days if they feel the determination is in error.   

A property is subject to the registration requirement if it meets any of the below criteria:

  1. The property has been ordered vacated, condemned, or found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unfit for occupancy.
  2. The property is subject of any type of foreclosure proceeding.  
  3. The property is unoccupied and also satisfies any of the following criteria:
    1. Is unsecured, or is secured by boarding or similar means.
    2. Has been the site of criminal activity within the previous six months.
    3. Is unoccupied and, since it was last occupied, was the subject of a completed foreclosure proceeding.
    4. Has been unoccupied for over 60 days and during such time the Community Development Director has issued an order to correct public nuisance conditions.
    5. Has been unoccupied for over 180 days.

The only exception to the above are for properties that are currently undergoing construction or renovation. Those properties must comply with all applicable laws and construction is proceeding without reasonable delay.  

To Register

Whether you are proactively registering a vacant property or you are responding to a “Notice of Vacant Property” you are required to submit the following items to Community Development at CD@CityRM.org or in person to City Hall at 3600 Kirchoff Road.  Call 847-506-6030 for more information or with questions.

Within 15 days of the property becoming vacant or from receipt of a “Notice of Vacant Property” the items below should be submitted to Community Development:

Within 30 days you must contact Community Development at CD@CityRM.org or 847-506-6030 to schedule an interior and exterior inspection of the property.

Liability Insurance Requirements

The owner or agent is required to obtain and maintain liability insurance on the subject property until it is no longer vacant. Proof of liability insurance on the subject property must be submitted to the City along with the initial registration form. The minimum required amounts are below.

  1. $500,000.00 for a residential building of 1—3 units.
  2. $750,000.00 for a residential building of 4—11 units.
  3. $1,000,000.00 for a residential building of 12—48 units.
  4. $2,000,000.00 for all other residential and commercial buildings.

Other Requirements

  • Subject properties shall be locked, boarded, or otherwise secured as to prevent entry by unauthorized persons.
    1. The city considers boarding up a temporary solution to secure a vacant property. Subject properties may not be boarded up for longer than 6 months unless an extension is granted by the Community Development Director.
    2. The property owner may be required to provide licensed, bonded and insured security for the building in specific cases.
  • Any changes to the information provided on the initial Vacant, Condemned, and Foreclosed Property Registration Form should be reported to the Community Development Department within 15 days on a new registration from.
  • If the subject property remains vacant into a second calendar year, and for all subsequent years it remains vacant, the registration will need to be renewal.   Renewal fees increase to $600.